There are well known patents disclosing methods and systems for creation of complex shape parts using powder metallurgy techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,484 to Ekbom discloses a method in producing a molding of an iron alloy, wherein the molding is produced by hot isostatic pressing of a prealloyed powder, performed at a pressure ranging between 100 and 150 Mpa, and at a temperature ranging between 1230 degree and the 1270 degree C.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,011 to White, et al. discloses a method for producing a composite mandrel for use in creating a precise set of surface features inside a hot isostatic pressed (HIP) billet for producing a desired tool uses a composite nickel shell and ceramic interior. A free form fabrication (FFF) or wax positive pattern of the desired tool is made first, after that a layer of nickel is deposited on the surface of the FFF positive pattern to produce a nickel shell which is a negative of the desired tool. The final step in creating the composite mandrel is filling the nickel shell with ceramic material to increase the rigidity of the nickel shell thereby forming a mandrel for use in an HIP process to make the desired tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,432 to Ecer discloses the process of forming a part from laminae of powders of materials such as metals, ceramics, intermetallics and composites of such materials, that include forming laminae; forming a stack of the laminae characterized as having a configuration from which a part is to be formed; heating the stack to consolidation temperature, and applying pressure to the heated stack to consolidate the laminae in the stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,633 to Kratt, et al. discloses a novel method of manufacturing articles of a complex shape by subjecting powder material to Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). The method involves manufacturing a capsule with at least one insert. The capsule is filled with outgassed powder. Thereafter, the powder in the capsule is subjected to hot isostatic pressing. The capsule is removed to produce a finished article, such as a bladed disk. The thickness of capsule walls is made variable so as to provide substantially unidirectional axial deformation of the powder during the Hot Isostatic Pressing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,533 to Van Daam, et al. discloses an article having a hollow cavity formed therein and a method for forming the same. The article includes a hollow structure having an open end and a body portion that is surrounded by a powdered material. The article is processed in, for example, a hot isostatic pressing operation, to permit a pressurized fluid to consolidate the powdered material. The pressurized fluid is permitted to pass through the open end of the hollow structure and into the body portion to thereby prevent the body portion from collapsing while the powdered material is being consolidated.
The methods and systems disclosed in Patents mentioned above show that configuration and production of the inserts are the most important standard operations in the process of tooling fabrication that finally forms complex shape part during HIP of powder materials. Solid monolithic inserts are used in HIP tooling manufactured according to the disclosed methods and systems. This is acceptable for simple and small shape parts. Inserts for large parts make the tooling to heavy, require special blank fabrication and a lot of machining time to produce tooling. In this case expensive EDM should be used instead of simple turning or milling. Also heavy inserts are less operable for assembling. They require lengthy time for tooling removal by acid pickling. It is especially difficult to remove solid inserts which form practically closed cavities with the limited access of acid during pickling.
All this makes manufacturing of complex shape large size parts in accordance with the methods and systems disclosed laborious, lengthy and expensive. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have methods and systems for manufacturing of large complex shape parts by HfP by using a tooling of standard material specification which can be manufactured with less labor expenditures and cost and more easily removed by acid pickling. The present invention discloses the method and system for manufacturing of large complex shape parts from the HIP tooling which enables to reduce fabrication time, simplify assembling process and intensity tooling removal by pickling.